Finland: Southern Town of Raseborg Rejects Offshore Wind Farm Plans

The southern town of Raseborg, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, has rejected the planned wind park in the sea area in front of it, reported Helsingin Sanomat.

Town Board member, Mikael Borgman, proposed dropping the zoning for the offshore wind park planned to commence in cooperation with the neighboring municipality of Inkoo.

”This is not about adopting an attitude against wind power. It’s about the location. In our view, wind power could be built by the sides of motorways or in harbors or in other locations that already have an industrial presence,” he said.

However, Inkoo is determined to perform the zoning of its half of the planned wind park if the park’s builder, Suomen Merituuli Oy, agrees to have only 33 wind turbines in the area, instead of the initially proposed 60.

”We will decide on the continuation on Monday, but more than likely we will carry on with Inkoo and, of course, continue to try to sway Raseborg as well”, stated Merituuli Managing Director, Sami Kuitunen.

In his opinion, Raseborg’s decision will increase uncertainty among other wind power builders as well

[mappress]

Offshore WIND staff, March 09, 2012